You sometimes have to really think about how nuanced and complicated the human condition is. We are capable of such amazing beauty and wonder, however sadly it’s in a world that doesn’t always embrace the positive energy we all have within us.

Now because we’re imperfect beings coexisting together, none of us really get that far before we encounter negative energies. This happens in any number of ways and scenarios, and as someone that has been fortunate enough to still remain an eternal optimist even when the negative is on the radar, I’ve observed four patterns of energy.

This is hardly a perfect science granted, but the more you delve into the simplicity of this the more it makes sense… So goes the hope anyway!

1: Passive Positive Energy

For most of us, this and passive negative act as the background energies to our lives. Now depending on where and who you are, this might be optimal for sure. An example could be trying to change your health regime. No one will tell you to stop on a dime and change your diet right away or go run that marathon.

Changes like that take time, and most of the strategies out there will plan around a piecemeal approach; some suggesting to do so more quickly or slowly depending. However as you go down this road you’re working toward a positive goal, embracing these positive energies passively.

Drinking less soda or eating less processed foods, parking further away from your destination so you have to walk more; these could all be passive approaches to actively changing your diet and life. But that you’re on a road toward a positive direction could be a great way to feel motivated.

2: Active Negative Energy

You don’t need to turn on the local or even national news, Google that deep or check out a magazine in the store to see that the world is a bit chaotic. A lot of people for a lot of reasons are swimming within the active negative pool, and that bad energy seems to never go away completely.

At the micro level you could find yourself having been passed over for a promotion at work, or find out a loved one is sick with something serious. When these examples happen it’s hard to remain upbeat or focused on the good, because the negative energy is so strong at that moment. The hope it that it ends quickly though, and you realize that there is breathing room on the other side of this energy.

3: Passive Negative Energy

Easier to deal with than the active but still negative, this energy can be longer in nature and more glomming. This can manifest itself at any age for any number of reasons. Whether you’re a child who doesn’t want to go to school because of being separated from home, or an elderly individual who is on the medical merry-go-round, this can be the hardest to detach from because it’s not pervasive but always present.

Ironically, the light at the end of this tunnel can seem further out than with the active negative because again, it’s passive, everywhere. So just like the piecemeal approach mentioned above, if you’re not able to take much of the negative energy out of these experiences, change the game and add some positive instead. Use that defiance as motivation to level the playing field with a far better energy.

4: Active Positive Energy

It’s beautiful, it’s sublime, it’s just plain awesome! You find your soul-mate when you least expect it, meet a new friend at school, or get that promotion at work. That novel you’ve been working on is now finished, you’ve been a non-smoker for a full week, or you just got to the gym and there’s hardly anyone there!

Active positive is the most fun to go on about, for obvious reasons. And it’s so versatile in nature. First it can help get you through active negative quicker with a better spirit. It can make passive negative not seem so endless. And passive positive can very easily upgrade into this wonderful energy when you finally meet your goals.

It also helps make life so amazing and creative. It’s often said that a lot of pain goes into an artist’s work; yet even then, it can manifest in the most breathtaking painting or gripping novella. Just the same, a lot of love can go into these creations as well, making the end product just as stunning.

In The End:

Ironically, thanks to the Winter Olympics last month, a Lindsey Vonn quote came across my radar; “It’s amazing. Life changes very quickly, in a very positive way, if you let it.”

Related to these four energies, it’s easier to let in the opportunities the positives represent than the negatives. And it’s no accident that one and four have more content than the others. Remember that part about being an eternal optimist? If you’re here now on Positively Positive, the hope is you can relate and if not, you’re about to! So let us know how you’ve embraced the positive and eschewed the negative, or that you have a plan to do just that going forward.

Matt Preston is the last of 5, uncle of 10, and part of an overall family of loved ones and friends mostly in Jersey. A walking contradiction for any number of reasons, he strives to use his ample energy in a positive and artistic manner. Creativity and humor is also his driving force in work and in pleasure. Writing is one of his passions, body mind and soul wellness one of his goals, and belief in destiny his motivation. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook. 

Image courtesy of StreetMindz.